Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Complete Catalyst · 2026-09-12

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The ease of international travel and the spread of various kinds of mass media all over the world have made it more possible than ever for people to know how other people live in other countries.

Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

It is true that easy international travel and the flow of information from various types of mass media all over the world have made it more possible for people to know how people of other country live than ever. I do believe that international travel and information from mass media has helped people to explore learn more at international level. Despite of some disadvantages, I think the advantages of this development outweighs the disadvantages.

In a globalized world, many people travel at international level for various purposes which include study, tourism, working, medical, and business, to explore more about international way of living and their techniques of existence.

At present, most of the visitors and tourists know about such destinations through the publications, journals, news, videos, vlogs, blogs and many other social media platforms. They may observe and notice different way of living, their culture, festivals, traditions, attires and cuisines. Their curiosity and existence bring them to observe in real life, learn some knowledge, skills, and experience new community and ethnic group. For example, many tourists make a visit to Nepal, where they can observe Nepalese traditions, culture, ethnicity, way of living, their hardships, behaviors, hills, mountains and natural scenic landscapes. During their visit, they tend to experience different world from nearest point of view. This helps the country in both economic and religious point of view. The inward tourism helps to boost Nepalese economy by earning foreign currency, while spreading particular culture in other parts of the world, at the same time.

In spite of those benefits, it also carries some demerits. Though inward tourism helps the country economically, they might also deteriorate the local traditions as well. For example, foreign tourism my affect negatively in peoples' way of living. They get inspired from tourists and might forget their originality in culture, dress, cuisines, and many more. The destruction may lead them to not be on any sides. Similarly, if the outward tourism is higher than inward, then the country might face serious economic downfall.

In conclusion, easy international travel and mass media create a chance for people from every nook and corner of world to explore more about other cultures while having some demerits. The government should address problems in order to minimize the small proportion of disadvantage.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of global travel and mass media, presenting a clear position that advantages outweigh disadvantages. Ideas are extended with a relevant example regarding Nepal and tourism. However, the development of ideas tends to be slightly repetitive in places, and some arguments are phrased in a general manner. The writer introduces the topic well and maintains a stance throughout. To achieve a higher band score, the arguments regarding the disadvantages could be elaborated with greater depth and clearer examples, avoiding minor over-generalisations. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, meeting the requirements of Band 6.5 or a solid Band 6 in terms of content and development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay displays a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing advantages and disadvantages, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'In a globalized world', 'At present', and 'In spite of those benefits', though some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Referencing is generally clear, but occasional minor awkwardness in flow prevents the essay from reaching a higher band. The logical progression is maintained throughout the response, ensuring the reader can easily follow the progression of ideas, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common items such as 'globalized', 'deteriorate', and 'economic downfall'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'people of other country' instead of 'other countries', 'techniques of existence', and 'foreign tourism my affect negatively'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but vocabulary limitations and occasional imprecise lexical choices restrict the score. While meaning is communicated successfully, the presence of frequent minor lexical slips keeps the response firmly at the Band 6 level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at varied structures like subordinate clauses and participial phrases. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as missing pluralisation ('people of other country'), subject-verb agreement issues ('advantages... outweighs' instead of outweigh), and preposition errors ('in economic and religious point of view'). Although these errors do not severely impede communication, they occur regularly and demonstrate lower control over complex structures compared to Band 7 requirements. Control over simple structures is good, but complex clauses often contain minor inaccuracies.

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